How a bad diet impacts your mental health – and how to fix it

It is well known that maintaining healthy gut bacteria improves your physical wellbeing but there is increasing evidence linking poor gut health to mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.

The Black Dog Institute reports that one in six Australian workers suffers from mental illness, costing employers an estimated $8,025 annually per person. Mental health issues are the leading cause of absenteeism, costing Australian businesses around $12 billion annually.

Gut bacteria basics

Gut microbiota are microbes made up of trillions of microorganisms that live in the intestine. They perform vital functions including assisting with food digestion, producing vitamins B and K, hormone regulation, and supporting the immune and central nervous systems.

Referred to as the “gut-brain-axis”, medical professionals are now thinking of the gut as a second brain. This makes sense when you consider 2015 California Institute of Technology research which found the digestive tract produces almost 90 per cent of the body’s serotonin, the hormone responsible for our feelings of happiness, and wellbeing.

If you’re feeling depressed or anxious, other symptoms that may indicate your low mood is linked to gut health include:

Weight gain

Bloating

Fatigue

Abdominal pain

Reflux

Flatulence

Headaches

Fatigue

Joint pain

Skin problems

Immune system disorders

How to restore harmony

In instances where impaired gut health is the cause of depression and anxiety, Dr Raphael Kellman from the Kellman Center for Functional and Integrative Medicine, says, “This is different than what we typically associate with a psychiatric form of depression and these patients may not respond to standard anti-depressants.”

In his book The Microbiome Diet, Dr Kellman advises gut and mental health can be restored by a diet high in fresh foods with anti-inflammatory properties including:

While it may seem hard at first to abandon your bad diet and other culprits negatively impacting your gut-brain connection, The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has good news – by making positive changes to your diet you can begin cultivating healthy new microbiota in just 24 hours.

And while beers and burgers might be off the menu for a while – red wine and dark chocolate – in moderation – are not!